 |
OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT
NEWS RELEASE
| INCIDENT:
|
Drug Overdoses in the City of Oxnard
|
| DATE/TIME:
|
October 24, 2018, 5:35 p.m. – 10:04 p.m.
|
| LOCATION:
|
North Oxnard, West Oxnard, Central Oxnard
|
| VICTIM(S):
|
38 Year old male (Non-fatal Overdose)
62 Year old male (Fatal Overdose) 33 Year old male (Non-fatal Overdose)
|
| PREPARED BY:
|
Sergeant Steve Trickle 805-384-4799
|
| CONTACT PERSON AND CONTACT INFO: | Sergeant Steve Trickle 805-384-4799
Commander Sharon Giles 805-385-7620 |
DETAILS:
On October 24, 2018, the City of Oxnard Police Department and Emergency Medical Services responded to three calls for service involving drug overdoses in a five hour period.
At 5:35 p.m., Oxnard police officers and EMS were dispatched to a suspected heroin overdose in a North Oxnard restaurant bathroom. The 38 year old male victim was revived by EMS personnel after being administered Naloxone (medication designed to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose and restore normal respiration) and transported to a local hospital.
At 8:03 p.m., the Oxnard Police Department received a second call for service at a sober living facility in West Oxnard. The staff at the facility located a 62 year old male resident in the bathroom who was unconscious and not breathing. Despite lifesaving efforts, EMS unfortunately was not able to revive the victim from a fatal heroin overdose.
At 10:04 p.m., the Oxnard Police Department received several calls for service regarding a subject disturbing in the central area of the city. The victim was a 33 year old male who was transported by EMS to a local hospital for an overdose from suspected methamphetamine use.
In the United States, approximately 115 people die each day as the result of overdosing from opioids. The addiction to pain relievers such as Hydrocodone, Oxycontin, Roxicodone has caused a dramatic increase in heroin use nationally and in Ventura County. Heroin is cheaper and a more readily available alternative to opioid pills. Heroin is often cut and mixed with fentanyl to increase the potency and profitability of the drug. Fentanyl is approximately 50 times stronger than heroin and is lethal in very small dosages. A lethal dosage amount could be as little as the size of three grains of salt.
The Ventura County Combined Agency Narcotic Team (VCAT) has recently made seizures of counterfeit Roxicodone pills which tested positive for fentanyl by the Ventura County Crime Laboratory. In addition, several kilograms of raw fentanyl were seized by VCAT. The amount of raw fentanyl seized would be more than enough to kill every resident in the City of Oxnard.
The seized counterfeit Roxicodone pills were identical in size, color, and manufacture stampings, thus the user would not be able to know if he or she was ingesting a fake pill which is actually contains a potentially lethal amount of fentanyl. Opiate pills are not the only counterfeit pills being produced illegally which contain fentanyl. Recent seizures across the nation have found fentanyl in counterfeit Xanax (Alprazolam) pills, which is used to treat anxiety and panic disorders.
Ventura County had a total of 165 overdose deaths during 2017, which is up sharply from 116 in 2016; this is an alarming 42% increase. The City of Oxnard has had an increase in both fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses during that same time period.
The City of Oxnard had approximately 35 fatal overdoses and 150 non-fatal overdoses in 2017. Since January 1, 2018, the City of Oxnard is on track with the previous year’s fatal and non-fatal drug overdose rates.
In 2017, Oxnard Emergency Medical Services first responders and the Oxnard Police Department officers administered Naloxone approximately 150 times in lifesaving efforts to combat the fatal overdose/opioid epidemic. Since January 1, 2018, EMS has administered Naloxone 105 times to opioid drug overdose victims.
The opioid epidemic crosses all demographics and boundaries. The rate of addiction and overdoses have changed the lives of the nation and Ventura County residents. Very few people can say they do not know somebody who is not affected by the epidemic. Victims range from family members, friends, church members, co-workers, associates to professionals, basically all walks of life. Opioid pill addiction often starts from painkiller use as the result of an injury or surgery or recreational use of opioid pills and progresses to heroin dependency.
Law enforcement in Ventura County has been collaborating with agencies such as Ventura County Behavioral Health to save lives and combat the opioid epidemic. Oxnard Police Department patrol officers carry and have administered Naloxone to overdose victims.
In addition, VC Behavioral Health provides Naloxone kits for family members or people living with an individual struggling with opiate/opioid addiction. Naloxone kits have saved the lives of numerous individuals since being distributed to family members or friends. The administration of Naloxone restores breathing / repository system, which buys vital time until EMS arrives.
If you know someone struggling with opioid addiction or drug dependency please refer to the Ventura County Behavioral Health for a list of resources available. Opioid education is the first and most vital step to combat the epidemic.
DATE / TIME PREPARED: October 25, 2018 5:00 p.m.